Principal Scientist / Associate Director - In Vitro Display

CK Group are working in partnership with Avacta to recruit a highly experienced Principal Scientist or Associate Director (dependent on experience) to be based at their state of the art facilities in West London on a permanent basis.

About Avacta:Avacta is a healthcare group developing innovative cancer drugs and powerful in vitro diagnostics to improve human health and well-being. Based in White City, London, their Therapeutic division develops novel cancer therapies using its two proprietary platforms – Affimer® biotherapeutics and pre|CISIONTM tumour targeted chemotherapy.

Avacta’s proprietary pre|CISIONTM targeted chemotherapy platform, releases active drug in the tumour, thereby reducing systemic exposure and improving the overall safety and therapeutic potential of these powerful anti-cancer treatments. Avacta took its first pre|CISIONTM drug candidate (AVA6000), a targeted form of the standard-of-care Doxorubicin, into the clinic in 2021. The Company recently announcedthe successful completion of the fourth dose escalation in AVA6000’s Phase 1a clinical study. The Affimer® platform is a novel class of biotherapeutic based on a naturally occurring human protein. It is Avacta’s proprietary therapeutic platform withits intellectual property covered by several patent families. Using the Affimer® platform Avacta is focusing on immunotherapies in the fight against cancer.

Innovation and collaboration is key for Avacta, and they are looking to expand the team with people who can further drive our exciting programmes forward.

The Role:

• Jointly accountable as member of the leadership team for developing and executing the strategy of Avacta Therapeutics, and driving development of the portfolio. Experience in oncology drug development is an advantage.
• You will manage an enthusiastic team of scientific staff, supporting and identifying development opportunities.
• Applying your expertise in library design, molecular biology, protein engineering and analysis to support programme delivery.
• Collaborate with external partners and presenting at both internal meetings and to external collaborating partners.

Your Background:

• PhD or equivalent with significant industry lab-based experience.
• Proven strong scientific leadership in the field of in vitro display platforms and screening strategies is essential coupled with line management
• Knowledge of in vitro display platforms, and experience of designing libraries, developing cloning strategies and related expression vector systems. Knowledge of novel engineering technologies.
• Background in designing strategies and defining criteria for phage library selections which will deliver clinical candidates.
• Experience of automation and high-throughput screening a major advantage, as is interpretation of NGS and large datasets. Experience of cytometry and related screening platforms is central to the role.
• Knowledge of protein expression (bacterial and mammalian cells)and purification using AKTA systems - DESIRABLE.
• Experience of Biacore and/or Octet analysis strongly preferred.

The benefits:

• 25 Days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, increases with length of service
• Lunch allowance for dayswhen working on-site in White City
• Private medical
• Annual performance related bonus
• Share options
• Eye Care Scheme
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Life assurance, 2x annual salary death in service benefit
• Pension, employee contribution 5% and employer contribution 6%

Apply: It is essential that applicants hold entitlement to work in the UK. Please quote job reference 55038 in all correspondence.